


The Hero's Path

by KentuckyTheFried



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles X
Genre: Blood and Violence, Choose Your Own Ending, Dismemberment, Heavy Angst, I have an emotional cross who reacted badly to the blood lobster missions, Mental Breakdown, Minor Character Death, Spoilers for the blood lobster quests, he is not okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:35:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28585851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KentuckyTheFried/pseuds/KentuckyTheFried
Summary: One hundred lobsters. Two endings. One hero, one villain.(My Cross, Pongo, discovers the identity of The Blood Lobster. Pain ensues.)
Kudos: 1





	1. The Antropolis

**Author's Note:**

> SO THIS FIC HAS BEEN DONE FOR A WHILE but I never posted it here, woops x'D  
> This fic has something special, though: it's like a choose your own adventure kinda deal! The two chapters after this are named after the two choices, so navigate to whichever your heart desires (and maybe go back and read the other ending when you're done lol)  
> I hope you guys enjoy!! This was...oddly therapeutic to write fskjdfjsd

New Los Angeles was alive tonight. The lights of BLADE Tower and the surrounding buildings lit up the city streets and drowned out the stars in the sky. All natural beauty was destroyed in its wake, but the city harbored its own form of beauty, its own way of sheltering life. Amongst the humans walked all kinds of xenoforms, many who had come seeking refuge in the city thanks to the brutal conditions of Mira’s ecosystems. They were peaceful here, secure in their safety and the parts they now played in the city’s development.

To think New Los Angeles was being threatened by something internal. To think that only one BLADE knew of the danger, lest innocents be caught in the flame.

Pongo was  _ exhausted _ . No, there had to be a better word, a better way to describe just how his body ached with every step forward. He wasn’t even sure if he was in control of his own two legs at this point. No matter what he thought, he simply walked forward, watching the comm device in his hand with bloodshot eyes - though no one would see the strain even if they got close enough. They would see the eye bags, surely, and if they dared to stick around they’d see how his left arm twitched more often than usual, having held the comm device up for hours, days on end.

He stumbled through the administrative district, down Division Drive in the dead of night. The map on his comm device beeped suddenly, a red dot appearing in the nearby vicinity, and Pongo beelined for it. The Mediator division, an open section to his left. Yes, it was here, it had to be. Pongo didn’t acknowledge the weird stares he was given as he walked in and began to search through the crates pushed up to the left wall. An easy hiding spot, a perfect hiding spot. 

Pongo’s efforts paid off. He eventually pulled out a lobster plush from behind the crates, shoving his comm device into his pocket so he could dismantle the bomb with both hands. The process was quick, perfected over ninety-seven other bombs, and soon the lobster plush was simply that. Now there was only one more left to find, and then the city would be safe again. 

Safe again...or safe for now?

As he exited the Mediators’ unit with the lobster plush dangling loosely in his hand, he grit his teeth at the memory. The first plush he’d discovered, lined up nice and pretty next to the test hangar in the industrial district. He’d received a call from an anonymous number from one “Blood Lobster”, who informed him that there were a hundred lobsters hidden in the city, all bombs, all ready to detonate at a moment’s notice. Find them all, Pongo was told, before they blow. Find them all, before people were killed. A twisted game of hero and villain, a game Pongo couldn’t back down from, a game he couldn’t afford to lose. 

His comm device buzzed in his back pocket. Even in his delirium, Pongo wanted to believe it was Elma checking in on him, Lin telling him there was an update to her newest Skell fanfiction, L’Cirufe asking for help packing up his shop for the night. He pulled his comm device out, answered it.

“My dear, dear Pongo! You’re finally down to the last of my precious babies. Such a busy worker bee. I just want to pull all your little bits apart and see what makes you tick!”

Of course it was the Blood Lobster. Of course it was. Pongo felt his skin grow warm as his blood boiled beneath, his entire body now quivering to match his left arm. His grip on the comm device and the plush tightened. 

The Blood Lobster continued, knowing fully well what kind of reaction he’d sparked in Pongo. “But that will have to wait until you find the last toy. And I’ve put that one in a veeery special place.”

“Where is it.” Pongo growled, his voice raspy and unforgiving.

“Ah, such an obedient little puppet,” The Blood Lobster cooed, “You make Daddy so very…ANGRY.” 

“Where is it.” He asked again, losing patience.

“Oh, I am SO going to enjoy killing you in person! Just a bit longer now. Kyaaa ha ha ha ha! Are you EXCITED yet?” The Blood Lobster gave no indication that he’d heard Pongo’s question at first. Perhaps he had and ignored it in favor of his performance. But after a content sigh, he said, “I left the last of my little babies with one of New LA’s especially useless citizens. It’s the perfect cure for their annoying little justice fetish.”

The next words the Blood Lobster spoke fell on deaf ears. Pongo dropped the lobster plush and sprinted towards the elevator down to the city’s lower level. He didn’t care how much his legs ached, he didn’t care that the call hadn’t ended and that the Blood Lobster’s laugh echoed from his pocketed comm device. All that mattered was getting to him. All that mattered was reaching Justin as quick as possible.

The elevator was too slow. The world was still turning, and the elevator was still too slow. When it finally stopped at the lower level, Pongo bolted, heading for the street. There were hardly any cars, making it simple for him to run with reckless abandon towards the commercial district. He could see the fountain from the highway, positioned to the front left of the two towering office buildings, he could see how many people were walking around. He could see the outline of the man sitting on the fountain’s edge, blissfully unaware of the danger he was in. Pongo pushed forward with all the strength he had left, and soon he had made it into the commercial district and off the street. The man at the fountain - Justin, Justin Wright, the Mediator with a profound sense of justice - spotted him and stood up suddenly. As Pongo stopped in front of him, he smiled, a bright and warm gesture tainted when he saw the state Pongo was in. 

““Hmm? Well, I’ll be! It’s the agent of justice!...You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Is something wrong?”

“Has anyone given you a stuffed lobster?” Pongo blurted out, still gasping for air that never filled his lungs. 

Justin raised a curious eyebrow, his arms folding over his chest. Even in the midst of the city lights, there was nothing they could do to illuminate his features. He was a beacon of light, a spark that Pongo had grown to love and adore for the past month. Being someone’s hero, their icon of justice...he wanted to do anything he could to keep that image, because Justin’s smile wasn’t the same otherwise. Deep below, Pongo knew just how much he meant to Justin, and the same could be said reversed. The Blood Lobster knew exactly which target would hurt him, and Pongo was scared shitless thinking of who he’d target next, given the chance.

“A stuffed…lobster? Like a hunting trophy?” Realization hit Justin in that moment and he lit up, a finger raised indignantly. “Oh, you mean a stuffed toy for children. Yes, actually, I did receive one recently. The note said it was from someone I helped on an assignment - it was quite kind of them to remember. But how did you know?”

Tears started to form in the corners of Pongo’s eyes, a result of stress and relief combined. He’d made it in time. Justin was still alive, talking to him, and he could still be saved. He started to explain, words broken up by occasional gasps for air, “Someone planted...bombs all over the city, hidden in those...those plush lobsters. One hundred total...I believe that you have the last one.”

“So the plush I received was a bomb?” Justin’s eyes widened, “And a hundred of them were hidden all over the city...oh my word. It’s a good thing you went out and found the rest.”

“Do you have it with you?” Pongo asked.

“The plush? Why yes, I do...er, yes, let me just hand this over to you…” 

Justin pulled a small stuffed lobster from his pockets, much smaller than the previous ones Pongo had encountered. But he treated it no differently, taking it from Justin and working quickly to disarm the bomb that was sewn inside. One loud breath escaped his lips, and finally, finally, he had done it. He was one step closer to saving the city from the Blood Lobster. 

Pongo threw the lobster off the edge of the road, not bothering to watch it splash down into the waters below. Approaching Justin again, he let his tears run wild, embracing Justin in a tight hug. “Thank the gods...I was so worried I would not make it in time and something would happen to you…”

“And I’m thankful you came to save the day, my magnificent hero,” Justin returned the hug, rubbing Pongo’s back. His words were gentle and reassuring, and Pongo kept the hug going for longer than was necessary. He’d spent so long hunting down the bombs that he had neglected every aspect of himself, including this dormant desire for physical affection. He let himself sink into Justin’s body, fatigue and relief hitting him all at once, and Justin let him. When Pongo pulled away, he kept his hands on Pongo’s shoulders, making sure they were staring each other in the eye.

“When you find the evil genius behind this crime, bring down the mighty hammer of justice for me!” He said with a confident grin, “I have no doubt you’ll emerge victorious.”

Pongo grinned, feeling restored from the hug. “I will do my best, for the sake of New Los Angeles. Thank you for believing in me, Justin.”

All too soon they bid each other goodbye. Justin turned away and walked towards the central part of the commercial district, and Pongo took one step towards the highway he’d came from. But then his comm device buzzed in his back pocket. Pongo tensed, nearly ripping it out of his back pocket and accepting the call with a sharp scowl.

“…It seems you’ve found the final piece, friend. And my preparations here are complete as well. Let’s end this, shall we?” The Blood Lobster’s voice dripped with a poorly hidden rage, “I’m inside the base of those useless puppets, the Definians. Don’t keep me waiting. I’m so eager to see you, I could just EXPLODE!”

The Ganglion Antropolis. Pongo know the base well, knew the best way to sneak in and not be seen. It would be tedious searching the entire cavern, but worth it, especially if it meant finally putting an end to this tiring charade. 

Pongo pressed the button to end the call without saying anything. The Blood Lobster would pay for almost killing Justin, for endangering and taking the lives of the innocent people of NLA. He would suffer by Pongo’s hand, and Pongo’s hand alone.

The end was nigh. Pongo knew the hammer of justice would be swift.

~

Pongo refueled Eros and got his tension filled on his weapons before taking flight. No one questioned his departure, no one stopped him from leaving, no one even assumed he was going on this mission. He was on his own, just as he’d been throughout this entire nightmare, and he would see it through to the end. Eros left behind a gentle trail of pink and purple light, an artificial aurora in the night sky. Outside of the city the stars greeted him with soft twinkles, scared of the anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. Nothing, not even Mira’s indigens, stopped him from reaching Cauldros in the next few hours. The atmosphere shifted to an oppressive heat, and Pongo wiped his brow absentmindedly. 

Eros landed just outside the Ganglion Antropolis, the entrance to a large cave surrounded by a thick lava flow. Pongo hopped out of his Skell, checking his gear one more time before jogging inside. The Blood Lobster hadn’t said where he’d be inside the Antropolis, but Pongo had a feeling that he wouldn’t be hard to spot. Stealth was never his forte, but he took great caution to follow it, lest he aggravate every Ganglion inside and suffer an untimely death before he could bring the Blood Lobster to justice. He knew the best places to hide, the best places to run, thanks to the time he spent here fighting the Definians. As he approached the room where he fought the Rekoskell, Pongo caught a glimpse of pink metallic paint, a manmade Skell, waiting deeper inside. 

This was it.

Pongo took a steadying breath and walked inside, his photon saber drawn and hanging low. The Skell took a small step forward as if to prompt Pongo forward, and a voice echoed out from its cockpit, distorted but familiar.

“Ah, it’s so nice to finally meet you. My name is the Blood Lobster. Yours is Pongo. There. Now we’re old friends.”

Pongo bit his tongue, itching to scream at him that they weren’t friends, friends wouldn’t place bombs around the city and expect him to find all of them, friends wouldn’t pull this kind of shit whether it was a prank or not. The Blood Lobster continued, “I’m so very impressed with all your hard work. And as a special treat, I’ll answer one question of yours right here, right now.”

One question. One answer. Pongo’s grip tightened on his photon saber, briefly glancing down at the energy that radiated off of the blade. There was only one question he needed answered, one question that burned at the edge of his mind.

“Why...why did you do this?”

“Some people just want to see the world drowned in a tidal wave of chaos and hate. Is that so wrong?” The Blood Lobster chuckled, and the answer made Pongo grit his teeth. “Oh, and before we fight, would you like me to kill a few more of New LA’s finest? Just to add to the drama, you understand.”

Pongo opened his mouth, stepping forward to start the fight early, an uncontrollable rage dripping from his expression. But the Blood Lobster interrupted him. 

“No, don’t answer that. Let me answer it for you: ‘Why, yes, I’d love you to kill Director General Chausson!’ MINIONS! Bring the captive to me!”

Pongo whipped around, expecting to see the director general in chains, beaten, within an inch of his life, begging for mercy. But the entrance of the cavern was empty. There was no Director General Chausson, nor were there minions dragging him along. The Blood Lobster laughed, and Pongo resisted the urge to slice the Skell in half, right then and there. 

“Kyaaaa ha ha ha! Oh, that’s rich! If you could have seen the look on your face! Priceless, I tell you…Anyway, question time is over. Now you and I will settle this for good and all,” The Blood Lobster’s Skell braced itself to fight, lights igniting from inside its frame, “That is, if you can overcome the final weapon left by the Definians…the Blood Despair!”

Pongo spun the hilt of his photon saber in his hand, mentally and physically preparing himself for the fight. One versus one, man versus Skell - though the Blood Lobster was driving an Urban model, the same make that Pongo was given upon completing the Skell license tests, the same make that he’d cherished until his upgrade to the Lailah model. He knew the ins and outs of the Urban like the dirt paths of Primordia.

The Blood Lobster cackled as its first attack powered up, a large machine gun that pulsed with electrical energy. Pongo charged forward, deciding that his best move was to try and topple the Skell and render it useless. But he wasn’t fast enough to outrun the electrical currents that fired out of the Blood Lobster’s gun, and it hits him square in the chest, sending him flying onto his back a few feet away. His photon saber flew out of his hand and he coughed as he pushed himself back up. Thank the gods he could take hits like those - no visible blood stained his armor, but a tingling sensation left over from the electrical energy had him wrap an arm around his stomach. 

The Blood Lobster prompted him forward with its empty hand, and Pongo made a mental note of where his photon saber had landed before pulling out one of his dual guns. He activated Ghostwalker, stepping forward as the shadows licked at his feet, crawled up his arms and shoulders. His newly formed clones mimicked his every action, and as he looked up at the Skell, the Blood Lobster growled.

“Always prepared, Pongo. I’ll admit I’m impressed!”

The way he said Pongo’s name made him stiffen, but he soon rushed forward with the lone gun in hand, attempting to fire at the Skell’s head. His aim had never been the best, and dual guns were not the greatest at dealing damage on their own, but at least some of the bullets hit their mark. A few ricocheted off the Skell’s frame and hit the cavern walls, but Pongo was already switching the gun out for the photon saber he’d dropped before. Picking it up with his left hand, he bolted towards the Skell’s left leg just as the Blood Lobster began unloading more rounds to try and stop him in his tracks. Thankfully the Ghostwalker he’d prepared was taking effect, and many of the bullets hit the shadows that flickered around him. One managed to catch him in the leg, but he’d fathered too much momentum, he was too close to his target. Pongo jumped, bending behind him to catch the inner joint of the Skell’s knee with a powerful slash, and the cut was deep enough to disconnect the lower leg. The Blood Lobster’s Skell fell to one knee and he cried out in frustration, swinging an arm wide and catching Pongo off guard. He was hit in the chest again and flew backwards, tumbling over himself and getting the wind knocked out of him. 

“Not done yet, are we?” The Blood Lobster taunted as Pongo forced himself to stand again. Luckily he hadn’t let go of his photon saber, but the mistake had passed on to his gun, which had been tossed to the side. He shook his head as an answer to the Blood Lobster’s question, but quickly realized he was bleeding from a new gash on his forehead as the blood trickled down his right eye and into the corner of his mouth. More determined than ever, Pongo leapt back into action, aiming to attack the other leg of the Skell. As the Blood Lobster continued to fire at him with the machine gun, Pongo thanked the gods that Ghostwalker was still in effect, since many of the bullets kept scattering around him. Pressing down on the hilt of his saber, he slid underneath the Urban and quickly righted himself against the wall and used his speed to launch himself forward, unleashing a Starfall Rondo on the other leg joint. Several slashes made in quick succession, too quick for the Blood Lobster to counter, and the lower leg popped off completely. Another cry from inside the cockpit and the torso of the Blood Lobster fell forward. Despite the arms still functioning, the impact on the ground incapacitated the remaining limbs, and the machine gun was knocked out of the Skell’s hand. 

Pongo let out a loud exhale before walking around the corpse of the Skell, retrieving his gun in the process. Putting his photon saber away, he pulled out his second dual gun, and once he was positioned in front of the Urban he raised both towards the cockpit as it opened in a swell of smoke. He could only afford a small glance down at his leg, which was bleeding through his jeans.  _ A lucky shot,  _ Pongo cursed silently, trying to avoid standing on it with the full weight of his body.

Someone finally pulled themselves out of the cockpit, and Pongo watched as they entered the smoke, coughing. Then they emerged, and finally, finally, the Blood Lobster’s identity was revealed.

“Heh…victory is yours. I…knew it…Heeeee…You really are the agent of justice I longed for.”

No. 

_ No. _

Every part of Pongo’s body screamed out in pain, in heartbreak. The Blood Lobster, after all this time...it was Justin. Justin was the Blood Lobster.  _ Justin did this.  _ Both guns still pointed at him, Pongo’s hands shook, and he couldn’t stop the tears that came to his eyes.

“Surprised?” Justin asked, crossing his hands over his chest as he watched Pongo breaking before him, shattering into pieces, “You didn’t see this coming, did you?”

The question wasn’t one of surprise, no, it was more of an indignant and disappointed remark. But Pongo couldn’t bring himself to answer. Words would betray him, bring out the pieces of Pongo’s heart to be stepped on and broken again. Justin smiled as Pongo lowered his guns, on the verge of collapsing in on himself.

“High praise, I must say. Though that trusting nature is all part of your heroic appeal.” He sighed, “You’re amazing, you know that? I’d even say…perfect. Oh, my pulse is just racing right now!”

Pongo forced himself to look up, some demented fragment of hope sparking to life once again. But Justin continued, perhaps never seeing the spark or ignoring it entirely, “I colluded with the Definians, planted bombs, killed scores of innocent people, all for this moment! All to become a villain worthy of you. To finally complete my story arc and earn the right to be smitten by the forces of justice.”

He pushed some of his dirty blonde hair out of his face, and blue blood trickled down his face. He wore the wounds like war paint, and it made Pongo sick to his stomach. “Now, what say we bring this story to a close? The only one fit to drop the curtain is an avatar of absolute good…you. Now end this! End the Blood Lobster’s villainous plot to plunge New LA into chaos - bring down your mighty hammer of justice!”

Justin expected Pongo to…to kill him? Pongo raised his guns again, locking onto Justin, his heart pounding beneath his armor. Was this really how things had to end? Of course it was. Maybe Pongo deserved this, since he trusted Justin, he looked up to the Mediator like he was a beacon to follow in the darkest night. Now that he’d shown his true colors, that he’d proven he was a shadow following along in the brightest light…

Pongo’s eyes squeezed shut, and let his heart decide.


	2. Deploy The Hammer

His guns were loaded, his skin prickled as he gripped them tight enough to leave his knuckles white. Justin stared expectantly at him, a long and drawn out smirk on his lips. This was it, the moment of truth. Pongo was supposed to kill him. Justin had betrayed every image he’d presented to him, and now Pongo’s reward for discovering the truth was to kill him. 

His guns wavered as his hands shook, but not with fear, not with uncertainty. His arms fell to his sides, and Justin went to protest, but then Pongo began to laugh. It started off small, low chuckles that quickly escalated into cackling, echoing against the cavern walls to sound like a band of hyenas. Justin watched as his figure of justice, the hero of the story, arched back and laughed like a villain would, laced with arson and flame. 

And finally, when Pongo had his share of the unspoken joke, the guns were both pointed at Justin again. Justin opened his mouth, intending to ask what the hell he thought was so funny, and that was when the first shot hit him. And the second. The third, the fourth, the fifth. Every bullet hit Justin’s body perfectly, shots ringing out like rain in a thunderstorm, all the while Pongo resumed his laughter. Something had broken in him, something had pulled loose. Justin’s body crumpled to the ground, falling off of the Skell he’d piloted, and still the gunfire continued. Pongo stormed closer, laughter mixed with bullets, and riddled Justin’s body with shot after shot even after it was clear he was dead. And then his guns stopped firing, out of ammo, and Pongo pulled out his photon saber, igniting the blade with a wicked grin. He started with the legs, then the arms, splitting the torso in two, removing his pretty head from his neck. Sparks of electricity were drowned in blue blood, a modern painting splayed out on enemy territory. 

When the body was fully ripped apart, Pongo sheathed his photon saber and picked up all the parts in both of his hands and walked back to the entrance of the Ganglion Antropolis, using the same path he’d entered in from to avoid the patrolling Ganglion. No one dared stop him as he approached the edge of the land where lava pressed against the shore. He giggled as he placed the parts down, and one by one, picked them up and threw them into the lava. First the legs, then the arms, the two halves of the torso, and finally the head. Each part sunk into the lava with a flare and a sizzle, and finally, finally, the Blood Lobster was no more. 

In the moments after destroying the body, Pongo’s laughs turned into wretched sobs, strong enough to weaken his legs and bring him to his knees. He curled in on himself, his hands strangling the roots of his hair and digging into his skull. He shook violently, his tears reemerging for the final act. He had won. The hero had triumphed over the villain, and the city had been saved. But at what cost?

Pongo screamed into the sunrise. Light began to illuminate his tortured soul, reveal the blood on his hands and the wounds in his heart. They would be scars, one day. Ugly scars for an even uglier act of heroism. 

He screamed until his throat hurt just as much as his heart did, and then he screamed louder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, this was NOT Pongo's final decision in my playthrough, but an interesting avenue he could've easily taken.


	3. Stay Your Hand

His guns were loaded, his skin prickled as he gripped them tight enough to leave his knuckles white. Justin stared expectantly at him, a long and drawn out smirk on his lips. This was it, the moment of truth. Pongo was supposed to kill him. Justin had betrayed every image he’d presented to him, and now Pongo’s reward for discovering the truth was to kill him. 

But he couldn’t.

Pongo couldn’t question his decision to lower his guns, even letting them drop to the floor. Justin’s expression immediately shifted to horror, shock.

“Wh-what?” Justin stammered, “NO! I terrorized a city and killed innocent people just so I could die by your hand! I leaked Definian weapons to criminals in New LA! I incited them to perform horrible acts! I baited the disturbed into becoming mass murderers, all to set the stage for my perfect climax of good versus evil! Don’t you see, I am your archenemy! The perfect evil! Now, come,” He gestured towards himself, “Dispatch me as you see fit. Fast? Slow? I don’t care. I only await your judgement.”

“My judgement…” Pongo echoed, forcing himself to make eye contact with Justin through tear filled eyes, “Why would you trust my judgement if it has wronged me too many times to count? Every time I think I can trust someone, they turn around and they…”

“They betray that trust, just like I have!” Justin exclaimed, “Yes, that should make you furious!! Use that rage and end this, damn it!!”

“Why would I do that?!” He screamed, “Why would I give you what you want like some kind of fucking reward for your actions?! You put innocent lives in danger for the sake of your own twisted narrative and expect me to write the final chapter for you?! This story should never have been written to begin with!!”

“But this story can’t go unfinished, not after all I’ve -” He started, but Pongo interrupted, baring his canines, sharp and threatening past his tears.

“You wrote me into the story. Now  _ I  _ get to decide how it ends,” Pongo said, “You will rot here and stew in the fact that you lost. And if I ever see you inside New Los Angeles again -”

“You’ll kill me!”

“I will arrest you and make sure you live the rest of your life behind bars. I am granting you a mercy by not dragging you back to the city right now.”

“Why would you grant me that mercy to begin with?!” Justin fell to his knees, his hands falling to his sides, “After all I’ve done, I deserve to die! You deserve to be the one to dispense justice!”

Pongo glared at him, his anger faltering for a moment too long. The Blood Lobster began to grow frantic, the fear of losing control evident. “Come on…come on! WHY WON’T YOU KILL ME?! If I don’t die, my story can’t end! Someone this brilliant and evil can’t be left at large! That’s not how it WORKS! It can’t be!”

Pongo didn’t respond. He simply spun around, beginning to feel how hard his fingers were pushing into his palms, and began to walk back towards the cavern entrance. Justin screamed, hitting the ground, and Pongo paused. He turned his head, but not enough to see Justin behind him. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the monster he’d loved and idolized for so long. 

“Goodbye, Blood Lobster.”

And so Pongo continued back towards the cavern entrance, all while Justin begged and cried and pleaded for him to come back, finish the story. The hammer of justice was in Pongo’s hands, but a hammer wasn’t always the right tool for the job. As he made his way out to the front of the Ganglion Antropolis, his thoughts began to consume him like wildfire, his guilt and self depreciation. This would never have happened if he’d been careful with who he trusted, with who he gave his love to. He should’ve seen the darkness inside Justin’s light; it had been there since the beginning. He had ignored all the signs and all the hints at something greater, and now…

Pongo stopped next to his Skell, leaning against it so he could give his injured leg some reprieve. Away from the cavern, away from the newly blossomed memory, his tears flowed freely, and some mixed with the dried blood on his face. This was his fault. This wouldn’t have happened if he had just...if he’d been stronger. If he’d been smarter. If he’d been more careful. If he’d been better.

He had defeated the Blood Lobster, but had lost the war. Pongo looked up at the rising Cauldros sun, at a new beginning tainted by his constant mistakes. He screamed into the light, begging for forgiveness, begging for an escape.

But Pongo was alone. 

He screamed until his heart weighed too heavy in his chest, and then he crumpled to the ground, sobbing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was Pongo's canonical decision, in my first playthrough of Xenoblade X. It was a hard decision, but one he made with his heart,

**Author's Note:**

> Make your choice.
> 
> Deploy The Hammer: Chapter 2  
> Stay Your Hand: Chapter 3


End file.
